Ellora is an amazing feat of human genius – the Kailash Temple alone, a truely stunning piece, required the removal of 250,000 tons of rock and took 100 years to complete. The powerful Chalukya and Rashtrakuta kings, oversaw most of the work at Ellora - and built the magnificent Kailasa Temple built in the 700s. The story of Ellora started during a period when Buddhism was big, then declining in India and Hinduism was reasserting itself and finally the last period of building activity took place in the 10th century, when the rulers switched from hinduism to Jainism.

The coexistence of elements from three different religions serve as a awe inspiring visual representation of the secular tolerance of India. Due to this reason and many others, the Ellora Caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. There are 34 caves in all: 12 Buddhist caves (500-750 AD), 17 Hindu caves (600-870 AD) and 5 Jain caves (800-1000 AD). The caves are numbered roughly chronologically, starting with the oldest Buddhist caves at the south end.The Ellora caves are also known as ‘Verul Leni’ and are located at a distance of about 30 km from Aurangabad. During the monsoon season, the caves appear even more beautiful and so people throng the caves in large numbers to take a glimpse of mother nature in full bloom.